The chromatographic behaviour of some natural and modified pyrimidine bases and nucleosides on an octadecyl stationary phase was studied. The retention and selectivity parameters of the separation of the compounds studied were derived on the basis of solvophobic theory. The mechanism of base and nucleoside interactions with the surface of the hydrocarbonaceous stationary phase is discussed. The best separation is observed at pH 3.5 for the bases and at pH 4.8-5.2 for the nucleosides. An increase in the solute surface tension results in an increased selectivity of separation. When the surface tension and the ionic strength of the mobile phase are not kept constant, there are considerable deviations in retention from that predicted by solvophobic theory.